Prof. Wei Xiang

Prof. Wei Xiang

China University of Geosciences (CUG)

Wuhan, China

Professor Xiang will be leader of WP1. Prof. Dr. Xiang Wei, doctoral supervisor, was born in Wuhan, Hubei on 22nd. September, 1953. He has been inaugurated by China University of Geosciences (Wuhan) as instructor of Department of Geotechnics and Engineering Geology, Faculty of Engineering; associate director of Three Gorges Reservoir Research Centre for Geohazard of Ministry of Education; director of Teaching and Experiment Centre of Geological Engineering of Hubei Province. Prof. Xiang participated in the Rural Construction Campaign in February 1970 and studied in Yangtze Hydraulics and Hydropower College from November 1975 to November 1977, majoring in geology and was engaged as lecturer after graduation. In 1980 he was admitted to Master Programme of Engineering Geology in Hydraulics and Hydropower, Department of Geology and Geography, Lanzhou University and supervised by Prof. Zhang Xiangong. In 1983 he was awarded MSc. Degree with the thesis: Research on Fluvial Soft Interlayer of Yangtze Gezhouba Dam and Stability Analysis on Dam Foundation. Afterwards he was engaged as lecturer of Department of Hydrogeology and Engineering Geology, Wuhan College of Geosciences and specially promoted as associate professor in 1987. During the course he participated in significant national research projects as director, e.g., Reconnaissance and Engineering Geological Investigation on Complex foundation, Engineering Geology and Seismicity of Three Gorges on Yangtze River. The result of his research was granted the second prize for scientific and technological development by National Education Council of China in 1988.

At the end of 1987, Prof. Xiang went to Germany for further study and engaged in the cooperative research with the Institute of Applied Geosciences, University of Karlsruhe with emphases in environmental and geological engineering issues, such as deformation and failure of slopes, site selection of back-filling, field study and treatment of contaminated sites (projected by German Ministry of Scientific Research and European Communities). From 1990 to 1996 he continued with doctoral study focusing on large scale landslide and debris flow in Alps (projected by Research Foundation of German Scientific Society) and obtained the Doctor Degree of Natural Science in Germany in January 1997 with the dissertation: Effect on Mechanical and Rheological Properties of Clay by Exchange of Cation-Based on A Large Landslide in Northern Alps.

During the doctoral study, Prof. Xiang worked as part-time consultant in German Geological Engineering Consultancy Company since 1992, mainly engaged in investigation and development such as the rheological property of montmorillonite slurry and application of geophysics in non-excavation technology for mains etc. From 1997 to 2003 he was employed by Donja Geological Consultancy Company as director of department of research and development, responsible for research and innovation of geotechnics, engineering geology and applied geophysics, e.g. monitoring and forecasting of rheological deformation and failure of slopes, high-resolution investigation on foundation with integrated geophysical methods, site selection for back-filling of radioactive exhaust (combined project of Germany, Japan and Switzerland). Meanwhile he was invited as guest professor by the Institute of Applied Geosciences, Karlsruhe University, lecturing in Monitoring and Forecasting of Landslide, Applied Clay and Clay Mineralogy as well as Geotechnical Experiments. In addition, he supervised 5 master theses and assisted in the supervision of 2 doctoral dissertations in the university.

So far, 4 students supervised by Prof. Xiang have been awarded Doctor Degree and 8 students have obtained Master Degree, including 2 German students. Presently 31 students are being supervised, including 16 doctoral candidates and 15 postgraduates. Up to now, Prof. Xiang has written one monograph and another in cooperation with colleague. He has had more than 50 articles published in national and international journals and conferences, among which over 20 are listed by EI, SCI and ISTP.

[1]    Xiang, W., The effect of cation exchange of clay minerals on the physical and soil mechanical behaviour of the sliding masses, Engineering Geology and Sustainable Developmemt, p.389-398, Earthquake-Publishers, Beijing, 1999.

[2]    Kallen, D., Xiang, W., Rohn, J., Landslides at Qingjiang River in the Downstream Area of Shuibuya Dam Site, China, Journal of China University of Geosciences, 17(2):158-162, 2006.

[3]    Yan, S., Y., Tang, H., T., Xiang, W., Underground drainage and rainfall influence on the stability of a landslide, The First International Conference on the Geological Engineering 2007 Wuhan, Springer,New York., 2008.

[4]    Yan, S., Xiang, W., Shallow Landslides Survey and Rainfall Induction Mechanism Study in Xiang Xi River Basin of  Three Gorges Reservoir. EGU, Vienna, 2008.